Video: Guardian Angel Defies De Blasio With Illicit Ocean Swim

NEW YORK CITY — With his red beret planted firmly atop his head, Guardian Angel Curtis Sliwa marched into the Atlantic Ocean to defy Mayor Bill de Blasio's order not to swim, video shows.

"Everybody should be swimming," Sliwa says after his illicit dip in the waters off Coney Island. "And the mayor's such a poo pot."

Watch the video here.

Sliwa's Sunday swim — which also included him burying an effigy of de Blasio's head — was in direct opposition to de Blasio's threat, issued last week, that anyone caught swimming at city beaches over Memorial Day weekend would "be taken right out of the water."

But video shows Sliwa marching into the ocean to swim while a group of a half dozen Parks officers, after trying to order him out of the water, leave him be.

"Come out of the water!" One worker shouts.

Sliwa smiles in response.

After about an hour's swim, Sliwa explains his defiance of the de Blasio's orders.

"All over the world they can swim, but not here in New York City," Sliwa says. "How stupid is that?"

De Blasio's decision has drawn outrage across New York City, especially when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced state-owned beaches would open on Memorial Day at 50 percent capacity and the mayor said the city would get "misting stations."

"It's painful, because we would all love to be able to go to the beach with the hot weather," de Blasio said of his decision. "But it's not safe yet."

But Memorial Day's dark and drafty weather meant Sliwa was alone in the water and was easily able to respect social distancing measures meant to slow the spread of novel coronavirus.

Sliwa was also able to kick sand at the large cut-out of de Blasio's head, which he later picked up, threw under his arm, and took for a stroll on the boardwalk.